One Word
by flyersfan3588
Summary: Fluffy one-shot I wrote after Baby in the Bough. Something Booth says causes Brennan to reflect on her relationship with him.
1. Chapter 1

**So, here's a fluffy little one shot I wrote after Baby in the Bough. This is dedicated to jb, who is desperate for some fluff after last week's finale, and to kasper, who always pushes me to write. I figured I would give her a Bones fic, since the last time I told her I was writing, it was for Angel. Lol**

The sun glinted off the lake on the bright May afternoon, causing Brennan to pull her sunglasses from the bag beside her chair and slip them on. She heard the splashing of water, and heard Booth's exasperated shout.

"Marley, out! You're scaring the fish!"

Brennan smiled and turned, in time to see him, soaked from head to toe and water trickling down his broad chest, chasing the golden retriever from the water as eleven year old Parker and four year old Madison looked on, giggling.

Booth put his hands on his hips and pretended to glare at his children. "You think that's funny?" he asked indignantly. Maddie nodded. He grabbed her and swung her in the air.

"Daddy, daddy!" she screamed excitedly. "Higher! Swing me higher!"

Parker stood by, laughing at their antics. Booth deposited Maddie back on the ground, and she and Parker promptly took off chasing him, Marley following along behind, barking madly.

Brennan smiled to herself, then turned back to the book she was reading. Gradually the voices faded away, and the warmth of the sun lulled her into a light doze.

"Mommy, mommy!" The little girls' excited shouts pulled Brennan from her rest a few minutes later. Opening her eyes, she watched as Maddie came running towards her. Sliding to a stop beside her mother's chair, Maddie grabbed her arm and pointed. "Look! I catchded a fish!"

Following her daughter's finger, she saw Booth standing by the water's edge, a pink fishing pole in his hand, a tiny fish dangling from the end of the line. Brennan reached down and scooped Maddie up. "So you did, sweetheart. It's a lovely fish." She smiled. "But you should say, 'I caught a fish.' Catchded is not a word."

"Sorry, mommy." She giggled. "Daddy says we hafta throw it back, though, so it can grow up some more."

Brennan laughed and hugged her, then set her back down on the ground, watching as she ran back to Booth, where he and Parker helped her take the fish off the hook and put it back in the water.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The four of them ate dinner on the back deck, watching the sunset, then retired to the family room. There was no football, this being the beginning of May, but there was hockey, which was even better.

Later, after Parker and Madison were in bed, Brennan and Booth sat on the front porch, snuggled close together on the swing, watching the stars. Sighing, she laid her head on his shoulder. He tightened his arms around her. "You okay, Bones?"

She smiled. "Perfect."

Booth reached down and laid his hand on her stomach, tracing the rounded curve of the baby. She was silent for a moment, then covered his hand with hers. "I love you, Seeley."

"I love you too, Temperance," he whispered.

Brennan closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, content in his arms.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The incessant beeping of the alarm clock woke Brennan at five thirty. Sighing, she reached over and turned it off, then sat up. As usual, after the contentment of the dream, she felt a sense of loss, which was silly. She had told herself the same thing every day for the seven days she had been having the dream; you couldn't miss something you didn't have in the first place. There was no daughter, no baby, no house by the lake…and no Booth. Well, there was Booth, of course, but he was only her partner. Nothing more.

Shaking her head at her foolishness, she slipped out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. After a quick shower, she dressed and headed out the door to the lab.

She went through her day, through her normal routine, pushing thoughts of Booth and the dream to the back of her mind. Once she sat down at her desk at the end of the day to finish her paperwork, however…

She knew why she was having the dreams, of course. Ever since the day they had given Andy to the Grant's, and they had sat in the back of his SUV and talked of her plans to rebuild the bridge into town, she had been thinking about him…about _them._ Ever since he had said that word; that one word that had made her heart skip a beat and her pulse race.

It was crazy, really…she didn't want to get married, didn't want children, but as he talked, she had wished, if only for a moment, that it could be true.

'_We could all go fishing, come back home, plop ourselves in front of that big, 103 inch plasma screen of heaven; and football…'_

She sighed, thinking about that conversation. That he would include her in his life that way, not as a partner, and more than a casual friend, made her feel…wanted; needed. Loved.

She had known that, of course. The looks, the hugs; even the bickering had been indications of the feelings they had for each other, and that the relationship was progressing much further than mere friendship. She just hadn't wanted to admit it to herself, but now, she had no choice. Now, with that one word, she was finally, irrationally, ready. Ready to risk it all; their friendship, their partnership, for the possibility that they could be more. And all because of that one little word. 'We'.

Brennan leaned back in her chair, frowning. It was no use; she just couldn't concentrate. Closing the file she had been working on, she shut down her computer and grabbed her purse. It was time. She couldn't wait any longer; if she did, she may never do it.

Angela was just heading out to drag Hodgins away from whatever bugs or slime he was currently engrossed in so that they could go home, when she spotted Brennan on her way out. Surprised to see her friend leaving the lab at a normal hour for once, she hurried over to her.

"Hey sweetie. Where are you off to in such a rush?" She smiled. "Got a hot date?"

Brennan turned and looked at her friend, a mischievous smile on her face. "Maybe, Angela." Seeing her friend's confused look, she grinned. "It's time to start my future."

**Okay, I had a much better line to end with, but silly me, I didn't write it down as soon as I thought of it, so…**

**And before you ask…no, I don't have any plans to continue this, though musie has surprised me in the past, so I suppose anything is possible…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! I have to admit, I certainly didn't expect such a response to this fic, but I just want to say thank you. And I just want to apologize…I haven't had a chance to thank you all individually, but your reviews have been overwhelming, to say the least. I sincerely thank you.**

**As with every fic I've written, something just popped into my head after I watched Baby in the Bough, and I wrote a few lines. I seriously didn't expect to go anywhere with this, however, since most of you have asked, (some, demanded), another chapter, I asked musie very nicely, and she was sweet enough to give me just a little bit more. And thanks must go to red; it was her idea to do Booth's pov, and it worked, so I went with it! Enjoy!**

Booth walked into the Jeffersonian, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of his partner. She hadn't seemed quite herself for the past week, and he couldn't decide if it was due to the case with Andy, or something else.

Nodding to Jerry, the security guard on duty, he made his way into the lab. Glancing around, he didn't see her on the platform, so he headed for her office.

"Booth?"

He stopped and turned to see Angela walking towards him. "Hey Angela. I'm just here to see Bones."

"She left."

"Already?" Booth checked his watch. "It's not even six yet."

Angela shrugged. "I thought she was going to see you."

"I haven't seen her all day." He looked confused for a moment. "Why did you think she was coming to see me?"

"Um…oh, no reason…I just thought…" She shook her head. "Never mind. I guess I just assumed she was. Since you two spend so much time together…"

"Yeah, okay." He sighed. "I guess I'll just catch her tomorrow." He started to leave, then hesitated for a moment and turned back to her. "Is Bones…does she seem okay to you, Angela?"

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. She just seems…distant, lately, that's all."

"She seemed fine when she left here, Booth." She smiled and stepped towards him, reaching out to straighten his tie. "As a matter of fact, she looked quite happy." She gave him a knowing look, but he didn't seem to catch it.

"Okay. Thanks, Ang." He gave her a distracted smile, then turned and walked out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Booth stood outside her apartment door, waiting. He had knocked twice already and he was about to give up. She wasn't here, obviously. Sighing, he turned to go, his mind wandering, trying to think of where she could've gone.

Angela said she had seemed happy when she left the lab. He hoped that didn't mean she had a date. Not that that should bother him; they were, after all, only partners.

He laughed. Even to his own ears, that sounded weak. They were more than partners, he knew that. The squints knew it, too. Hell, even strangers saw it. He just didn't know what to do about it.

It had been such a gradual progression, he hadn't really seen it at first. Or maybe it only seemed gradual to him. They had started out as partners, antagonizing one another, until that had evolved into a grudging respect for each other. Then, friendship. Now, he wasn't even sure where they were, but he knew that they were going to have to talk about it, sooner or later.

And then there was their last case. Watching her with Andy, seeing her interact with him, had been a joy to see. In the beginning, she hadn't even wanted to be around him, but she had thawed quickly, and to see the logical, rational, Temperance Brennan so protective and caring of the baby had reinforced his belief; she would be a wonderful mother someday. Maybe not a conventional mother, but a great one just the same.

He knew she was afraid. She knew, better than almost anyone, what could happen to a child in today's world. And she would never want another child to go through what she went through. Losing her parents, alienating herself from her brother, moving from place to place, never really having a home; all of that, combined with what she knew of the evil in this world only strengthened her resolve to never let that happen to a child of hers. Which, in her logical mind, meant not to have any.

But lately, especially in this last week since the case, he had been thinking about it more and more, and he realized just how much he wanted that house on the lake; being with her, and Parker…and if there were other children, well, that was an added bonus. Because as he was talking, as he was telling her to build that house, he could see it all unfold. Everything he said, he saw in his mind. Both of them together, fishing, watching football. And then there were the things he left unsaid. Walks along the lake, holding hands; falling asleep together, in each other's arms…

He had been so lost in his thoughts, he hadn't realized he had been driving aimlessly around DC. Shaking his head to clear it, he turned the SUV towards the diner, then, when he saw she wasn't there, he headed to Wong Fu's. Finally, after a few other stops, he resigned himself to another night alone.

Finally reaching his apartment, he got out, locked the SUV, and made his way inside. When he stepped out of the elevator into the hallway, he stopped, stunned. "Bones?"

She had been sitting on the floor just outside his apartment door, waiting. "Hey, Booth." Standing, she brushed herself off, and faced him.

Booth just stared at her, baffled. "What are you doing here?"

"I just…" She took a deep breath, then smiled. "Can we talk?"

BBB

**Hehe, I am soooo bad! Sorry jb, but if you want the chapter tonight, it has to end here! Of course, this just means I have to have one more chapter…and I will try to post the ending tomorrow, but NO guarantees! Maybe a 60 percent chance…lol!**

**Oh, and keep sending those cookies my way…musie really loves them!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, I swear I didn't purposely intend to be mean and leave you all hanging, but I really felt that I couldn't do justice to the BB dialogue if I rushed it, so I had to stop when I did. Hopefully this chapter will make up for that. Sorry it's so short, though. And thanks to kiki, for helping me with the fluffersmut, and to kasper for her advice.**

**Thanks for the reviews…and the cookies!**

"So."

"So."

They were in Booth's living room, sitting side by side on the sofa. She had waved away his offer of a drink, and now he was waiting for her to start the conversation.

"So…what did you want to talk to me about, Bones?"

"Us."

"Us? Um…well, uh…what about us?" Despite the fact that he had decided they needed to talk about their relationship, her bluntness left him struggling for words. He really wasn't sure he was ready for this conversation.

Brennan sighed. "Well, I think that we can both agree that things have seemed a bit…different between us lately."

"Different?"

"Booth, are you just going to keep repeating everything I say?" she asked, exasperated. "Or can we actually talk about this like normal adults?"

Booth stood and held his hands out in front of him. "Hold on a minute, Bones! Obviously, you've got something you want to talk about, and you've had time to prepare." He dropped his arms. "I'm just not exactly sure what you're trying to say."

"I'm trying to say that I'm…well, that I've become…attached to you."

"Attached?" Booth looked at her incredulously. "You've become 'attached' to me?"

"Yes, Booth. Attached. As in, fond of you. Actually, the dictionary describes it as being committed emotionally to someone; to have affection for another person." She crossed her arms in front of her. "Attached."

"Come on, Bones!" He shook his head. "Don't be so literal for once."

She stood and faced him. "Look, ever since the kiss, I've been trying to rationalize these feelings. And actually, it does make sense. We work very closely with each other, and it's only normal that we would form some sort of bond."

"Bones, look…"

"Why do you insist on making this so hard for me?" Brennan shook her head.

"I'm not trying to be difficult, Temperance. I'm just trying to understand."

"Maybe this was a mistake." She brushed past him on her way to the door, but he grabbed her arm and turned her back to face him.

"Temperance..."

"I just thought that…I mean, what you said last week, about us…" Her voice trailed off as his grip on her arm relaxed and his fingers slowly traveled up her arm, causing a shiver to run down her spine. "I just thought you felt…something." She looked away. "I guess I was wrong."

"You're not wrong." The words were whispered, but they rang in her ears as loud as if he'd shouted them. "At least, not about how I feel." He stepped closer to her, and she could feel her pulse start to race at his nearness. "But don't try to rationalize it, Temperance. Love isn't rational, and it isn't logical. And it rarely makes sense. It just is."

Brennan was desperately trying to make sense of his words; to see if she'd heard him correctly. "Did you just say…" Her words were lost as his mouth found hers.

This wasn't anything like their mistletoe kiss. This was soft and wonderfully sweet...but it ignited a fiery passion inside of her she wasn't even aware she had been hiding. With her eyes closed, her other senses seemed to move into overdrive, heightening every touch and caress. She felt his fingers**graze** her cheek before he tangled them in her hair, anchoring her to him; she explored his lips as he softly traced hers until her groan of surrender filled the silence and she opened her mouth to him. Her knees felt weak and her head felt light at the sensual stroke of his tongue against hers.

It seemed like a lifetime, yet at the same time it felt all too soon when he pulled back. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to let go of the feeling, until she heard him whisper her name. "Temperance."

Slowly, she opened her eyes and met his. What she saw in them took her breath away.

"God, you're beautiful," he whispered. His hand gently cupped her cheek, and he went on. "And smart, and independent, and strong…" He smiled. "And I meant everything I said to you that day. It's what I imagine when I see myself in five years, or ten, or twenty. You are my future. And I want to be yours."

Brennan looked at him, mesmerized. "I…I don't even know what to say…"

"The great Dr. Temperance Brennan is speechless?" Amazingly, he laughed. "That's got to be a first."

She shook her head, desperately trying to gather her thoughts. "Obviously I'm not speechless, Booth. I'm a very articulate person, and I…"

"Bones?" He waited until her voice trailed off, then leaned down and kissed her again.

Brennan forget everything as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. Finally, breathless, they pulled apart reluctantly.

Once her breath returned, she opened her eyes and looked at him. "So, what now? Logically…"

He brought a finger to her lips. "I thought we went over this, Bones. No logic."

"But…"

He just shook his head, then took her hand and led her back to the sofa. Sitting, he pulled her down with him. "Let's just take this slow, okay?"

Sighing, she admitted defeat. "Fine. As long as you know, this doesn't mean I've changed my mind about marriage, or children."

"I know. You're a lot of things, Bones, but conventional isn't one of them." He pulled her closer. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Picking up the TV remote, he kicked off his shoes and propped his feet on the coffee table. "Now, I know it's not a 103 inch plasma screen, and it's not football, but my Flyers are playing."

She snuggled closer, laying her head on his chest. "What is that? Baseball?"

Booth shook his head and sighed. "It's hockey, Bones." It was true that life with Bones would be anything but normal, but he found that he didn't mind at all. He turned on the TV, tightened his arms around her, and settled in to watch.

**Well, there you go. I hope you're satisfied… And yes, I just HAD to get my hockey in there! lol**


End file.
